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| Linnet & Yellowhammer |
I headed out in the darkness to the sounds of numerous Robins at around 0640 to catch the 0705 X7 to Inverkeillor. A Herring Gull caught the lights as it drifted over near the bus station beginning what I suspected would be a rather short day list. Nothing else was seen from the bus except a few more Herring Gulls around in the gloom at Arbroath bus station. A Roe Deer was seen as I walked along the road from Inverkeillor to Lunan Bay but other than gulls and corvids there was little of note to be seen on the 40 minute walk. I reached the bay just after 0830 and began scanning out over the waves. There were plenty Common Scoters around but the light was very poor making it almost impossible to pick out any detail despite having taken my Leica scope with me (and the Nikon P900 for record shots only). A few Velvet Scoters, some Long Tailed Ducks as well as Shags, Eider, Red Breasted Mergansers, Cormorants and Red Throated Divers were also found out on the water.
A few small groups of gulls lounged around on the sand (including a yellow ringed Herring Gull T:517, I think) and singles of both Guillemot and Razorbill were also found out on the sea. A small flock of Wigeon flew by twice and a quartet of waders (Dunlin, Sanderling and Ringed Plover) gave some respite from the repetitive struggle of scanning through the dark shapes out on the water for a tiny splodge of yellow on the bill of the Black Scoter. I set off along the dunes to the south for a better look at a larger group of ducks but finding shelter from the wind was difficult and I was coated in sand without having any luck. By 1330, the light was already getting worse (without ever having got particularly good barring a few seconds of actual sunlight which failed to linger) so I set off back to Inverkeillor and homewards. A flock of Linnets and a single Yellowhammer provided some colour but I ended the day with a list of only 36 species seen and a very small collection of very poor record shot type photos. The Black Scoter was seen by someone to the north of the river (where I hadn't ventured) at some point in the afternoon, so a return trip on Sunday will now be required.
Dundee to Lunan Bay - Herring Gull, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Jackdaw, Starling, Rook, Curlew, Linnet.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.
Lunan Bay - Great Black Backed Gull, Common Scoter, Long Tailed Duck, Velvet Scoter, Red Breasted Merganser, Shag, Cormorant, Eider, Guillemot, Oystercatcher, Razorbill, Feral Pigeon, Wigeon, Red Throated Diver, Dunlin, Sanderling, Song Thrush.
Lunan Bay to Dundee - Yellowhammer, Wren, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Grey Wagtail.
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| Common Gull |
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| Common Scoter (& possible Velvet Scoter) |
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| Herring Gull (T:517?) |
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| Common Scoter & Long Tailed Duck |
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| Common Scoter |
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| Curlew |
Species seen - Blackbird, Black Headed Gull, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Common Gull, Common Scoter, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Eider, Goldcrest, Great Black Backed Gull, Grey Wagtail, Guillemot, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jackdaw, Linnet, Long Tailed Duck, Oystercatcher, Razorbill, Red Breasted Merganser, Red Throated Diver, Ringed Plover, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Sanderling, Shag, Song Thrush, Starling, Velvet Scoter, Wigeon, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals seen - Roe Deer.